• by IPS Correspondents (rio de janeiro)
• Tuesday, November 15, 1994
• Inter Press Service

RIO DE JANEIRO, Nov 15 (IPS) - The elections to occur on Tuesday in 18 locations in Brazil will complete the national political picture and determine the strength of President-elect Fernando Henrique Cardoso.

In the the most important economic and political states of the country, Sao Paulo, Minas Gerais, and Rio de Janeiro, Cardoso's Social Democratic party has strong possibilities of winning gubernatorial seats.

In Sao Paulo, Senator Mario Covas is expected to defeat Francisco Rossi of the Democratic Labour Party (DLP); in Minas Gerais, Eduardo Azerdo is favoured over Helio Costa, of the Popular Party, and former Rio mayor Marcelo Alenar is likely to out-tally DLP candidate Anthony Garotinho Matheus in Rio de Janeiro, where 46 federal deputies will also be elected.

A socialdemocratic victory in the three states, which together provide more than half the economic production of Brazil and 169 deputies, would be a significant boost to Cardoso, making his governability more secure.

In the state of Bahia, the most important in the north-eastern part of the country, polls predict victory for Paulo Souto, who is supported by senator-elect Antonio Carlos Magalhaes.

Souto's victory would increase the national prestige of Magahaes, a politician who has participated directly or indirectly in every government since the military regimes (1964-85), with the exception of the current administration of out-going President Itamar Franco.

In the north-eastern state of Maranhao, senator and former president Jose Sarney runs the risk of a humiliating defeat.

His daughter Roseana, gubernatorial candidate for the Libfront Party, has lost ground to her fathers former ally, Epitacio Cafeteira, of the Progressive Renovating Party.

Cafeteira, who has become one of Sarney's worst enemies, has repeatedly stated his intention to "send the entire Sarney family to Amapa," in reference to the neighbouring state where Sarney was elected senator.

The Workers Party (PT), whose candidate for president, Lwas defeated by Cardoso after leading the polls for several months, has the possibility of winning three governor's seats.

In Rio Grande del Sur, former mayor of Porto Alegre, Olivio Dutra, faces former minister Antonio Britto, who is a close ally of President-elect Cardoso. The polls indicate a dead heat.

In Brasilia, professor Cristovoa Buarque of the PT faces Valmir Campello of the Brazilian Labour Party. This race is also too close to call.

© Inter Press Service (2014) — All Rights Reserved. Original source: Inter Press Service

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